Joy List

• Any song by Florence + The Machine. Particularly Breath of Life, Drumming Song, Cosmic Love, Only If For A Night, Seven Devils & No Light. I think Florence Welch might be my most favorite musician ever.
• My nieces & nephews. I could spend hours (and sometimes do) talking about how cute, funny and sweet they are.
• Mt Hood. Hiking on it, snowboarding on it, catching glimpses of it from Portland. Everything about it, I love.
• Maxi dresses.
• Avocados.
• Friends, old and new. 
• Bright blue sunny skies.
• Scarves. Especially into circle scarves right now.
• Traveling.
• Freshly painted fingernails.
• Coffee. Particularly a nice foamy latte or cappuccino, but drip coffee excites me too.
• Yoga. Obviously...
• My tutu.
• Chunky arm & leg warmers.
• Candles.
• Big, tall, old trees.
• Boots. 
• Sea salt & ketchup.
• Southern California. Especially San Diego, and to be even more specific- La Jolla. Los Angeles too, and my friends there. 
• Cleanliness. I like it neat and tidy. 
• Marcel the Shell With Shoes On. 
• Anthropologie. 
• Vinho Verde. Especially when it's shared with a friend.
• Hiking. Running through the forest. 
• My memory of riding the chair lift at Ski Bowl with Sarah C. at night and screaming WOOOOO! because we though nobody was around, when actually a skier was two chairs ahead of us the whole time.
• Also, my memory of getting stuck on that same chair lift with Sarah and the awkward conversation we had with the skier behind us who told us all about how she went on four dates with the lift operator. 
• Sex & The City. Still.
• All of the "power" women I have connected with and been inspired so deeply by in my life. Too many to name. Tiffany, Hemalayaa, Melissa... and the list goes on.
• Mimosas & peach bellinis.
• Tiny things.
• Loud music. Thanks Chet.
• Dancing around my apartment and going, wooo! Thanks Mom. 
• Any memory I have of Cindy, the only person I love like I love my actual mother.
• Most of my Bottoms Up memories. Probably not appropriate to list on here.
• My own ability to stand up for myself speak my truth.
• Green smoothies. Oh, do I love a green smoothie.
•  Making lists.

dreaming of sd

Today I am dreaming of San Diego. I was watching an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians this morning where they went to La Jolla to visit Kris' mom. I gasped when I saw images of La Jolla, and I've seen it a bunch. It feels like home to me. Every time I leave there, I cry. Last time I was there, I seriously considered not getting on the plane to return to Portland. I also considered moving there without my husband, that's how badly I want to be there. It's hard not to think about it right now because I was offered a full scholarship for a teacher training program at La Jolla Yoga Center that started in January and would be ending this month.

Today I feel a little bit sad and a little bit stuck. This is the one thing I've consistently wanted for nearly a decade, but fear holds me back. I was recently asked by Tiffany Cruikshank, what one thing would you do if you knew you could not fail? The answer was obvious.